Steve Hackett on Jimmy Falon Show

[No Pride]

Hey, for them to even make the connection for this audience between Steve and Genesis was a win for Steve. Like they say, "Any publicity..."

They didn't even mention his name. You think anybody's going to Google "former members of Genesis?" That falls under the "no publicity" category.

Plus, they want to play something that the audience can relate to. Play part of "Return of the Giant Hogweed" and no one is going to get it.

Screw the audience; they should've played it.

[Digital_Man]

Why would Jimmy Fallon be a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon?

Obviously that was a typo and obviously I meant Steve Hackett. I fixed it.

[Digital_Man]

He didn't even know it was Steve Hackett who some guy said he resembled and yet Jimmy Fallon said he "loves Genesis." Obviously he knows squat about 70's Genesis. Almost as bad is the fact that the band was playing their version of "that's all." Yeah, nothing screams Steve Hackett like a song he didn't even play on.

[Scrotum Scissor]

He didn't even know it was Steve Hackett who some guy said he resembled and yet Jimmy Fallon said he "loves Genesis." Obviously he knows squat about 70's Genesis.

But what many - very, very many - folks in places like PE seem pathologically unable to realize, is that most members of the general consumer masses out there don't know or give a rat's ass about 80s/90s Genesis either. They are in fact not considered "legendary", and I'm not just pointing to younger generations here.

[BarryLI]

He didn't even know it was Steve Hackett who some guy said he resembled and yet Jimmy Fallon said he "loves Genesis." Obviously he knows squat about 70's Genesis. Almost as bad is the fact that the band was playing their version of "that's all." Yeah, nothing screams Steve Hackett like a song he didn't even play on.

That was "That's All?" Really?

[ThomasKDye]

Man, people are so uptight. I thought it was funny, despite Fallon not referencing every time signature on "Selling England By The Pound" and where Steve bought his guitar strings before he played the solo to "The Lamia."

[Scott Bails]

Man, people are so uptight. I thought it was funny, despite Fallon not referencing every time signature on "Selling England By The Pound" and where Steve bought his guitar strings before he played the solo to "The Lamia."

But just think of how funny it would have been to the hundreds of prog fans watching if Fallon referenced all of that.

[Digital_Man]

[most members of the general consumer masses out there don't know or give a rat's ass about 80s/90s Genesis either]

Maybe but I think your average person is much more familiar with their eighties hits than anything they did in the seventies(aside from "follow you follow me").

[PeterG]

Yeah, I think Jimmy Fallon is great. That his humor might be less appreciated here isn't a shock, though.

+1...

[PeterG]

My laugh-o-meter tells me this is my top 5:

1. Jon Stewart
2. Craig Ferguson
3. Jimmy Fallon
4. Jimmy Kimmel
5. Conan

[GuitarGeek]

He didn't even know it was Steve Hackett who some guy said he resembled and yet Jimmy Fallon said he "loves Genesis."

Probably what he meant was, "I never owned any of the albums, but I always liked In Too Deep, Illegal Alien and Throwing It All Away whenever they were played on the radio".

BTW, which song did the band play? Sounds like the time someone told me, where they heard a DJ announce Steve Howe's birthday, then played Owner Of A Lonely Heart.

[GuitarGeek]

As for as the band playing a song the audience might not recognize, the CBS Orchestra does it all the time on Letterman. They regularly play Make Me Smile (and several other songs by Chicago), one time as one of the guests came out, they played Tin Soldier by The Small Faces (I forget what the reason why was), another time it was Pharaoh Sanders' The Creator Has A Master Plan (the guest's name was Pharaoh), whenever they have anyone from Big Bang Theory, the band always plays that one Stone Temple Pilots song (Big Bang Baby or whatever it was called).

I remember one time Jay Leno had Susan Sarandon on and the band played Time Warp. There's a question, which is more popular: Rocky Horror Picture Show, or Gabriel era Genesis.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I think your average person is much more familiar with their eighties hits than anything they did in the seventies(aside from "follow you follow me").

In the group "people above 35 with more than a casual interest in pop/rock music", some of those 80s Genesis radio hits are probably fairly well known. But even then I'm not all too convinced about most folks knowing about the band as such, rather I'd say it more plausible that they'd call it as a song by 'Phil something'. It's been a truly long time since "Invisible Touch" now, you know. And most younger people back then did NOT connect with an act like Genesis.

[Digital_Man]

[BTW, which song did the band play?]

I mentioned earlier it was "that's all." Listen carefully to the guitar line and you can tell that's what it is.

[Digital_Man]

In the group "people above 35 with more than a casual interest in pop/rock music", some of those 80s Genesis radio hits are probably fairly well known. But even then I'm not all too convinced about most folks knowing about the band as such, rather I'd say it more plausible that they'd call it as a song by 'Phil something'. It's been a truly long time since "Invisible Touch" now, you know. And most younger people back then did NOT connect with an act like Genesis.

Dude, maybe where you live. However, Genesis were at one point just barely behind U2 in popularity at one point in the late eighties. They have sold more albums than any other prog band(except for Pink Floyd) and more than most bands in general. From about 86 on they played nothing but stadiums. If you do a search for most popular bands they usually show up in the top 30. According to Wikipedia they have sold 130 million albums worldwide. But yeah you're probably right hardly anyone has heard of them. Silly me(insert sarcasm here).

As for the young people thing I remember seeing quite a few Genesis t shirts in my high school. I think along with U2, The Grateful Dead and REM they were one of the most common rock t shirts. They were HUGE and it wasn't just older fans getting into them. They had mass appeal(and still do)and are one of the biggest selling bands of all time whether you want to admit it or not. Facts don't lie. You are ostensibly trying to put them in the boy band category or Celine Dion category and that's just not the case.

[riessie]

hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahahahaha, there is this guy, hahahaha, and he, hahahahaha, put up a fake mustache, hahahaha, hahahaha, and there is that's all played by a crappy band, hahahahaha,

haha

ha.

[progeezer]

Does riessie rhyme with Nessie?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Dude, maybe where you live. However, Genesis were at one point just barely behind U2 in popularity at one point in the late eighties. They have sold more albums than any other prog band(except for Pink Floyd) and more than most bands in general. From about 86 on they played nothing but stadiums. If you do a search for most popular bands they usually show up in the top 30. According to Wikipedia they have sold 130 million albums worldwide. But yeah you're probably right hardly anyone has heard of them. As for the young people thing I remember seeing quite a few Genesis t shirts in my high school. I think along with U2, The Grateful Dead and REM they were one of the most common rock t shirts. They were HUGE all time whether you want to admit it or not. Facts don't lie. You are ostensibly trying to put them in the boy band category or Celine Dion category and that's just not the case.

But you clearly misunderstand my point, and obviously because I didn't state it well. So I'll try again.

Yup, Genesis and Phil Collins solo (in particular) *WERE* huge (just like you said so passionately and desperately) names in 80s pop/rock music, and definitely "where I live" as well - but they weren't and indeed aren't acknowledged by the dominant audience who'd go on to define the ensuing understanding of 80s/90s "alternative" and "independent" rock/pop scene - which is where we are today in terms of that era's musical aftermath. As such they're hardly "remembered" or even considered particularly important with neither critics nor the larger public. Partly because the band were of an older origin than U2, REM, The Smiths etc. (and consequently appealed mostly to a somewhat different generation, although this also applied to other artists whose public resume has definitely survived on a far larger scale than Genesis, such as Bowie, Plant, Queen, Sabbath a.o.), but also due to the phenomenon of historicity; Genesis' run as admittedly creative "prog band" was proclaimed as long since over and done with by the time they became a multi-million selling unit, and much of their success was indeed ascribed to exactly that motion. Some current niche magazine's revisionist approach that 80s works by Genesis/Yes/Moody Blues (plus newer acts which of course sounded strangely like these) somehow "saved prog" seems to break free of the fact that these artist's prolonged careers were perceived as an effect of their very abandoning of said stylings.

And I'm not "ostensibly trying to put them in the boy band category or Celine Dion category", because I'm perfectly aware that this is not the case. No, unlike these dreadfuls "Invisible Touch" is the SERIOUS stuff.

[Klonk]

Fallon is a HUGE kiss-ass and may be the worst interviewer in the biz. As a comedian he doesn't do it for me at all either. Where he shines, however, is in his musical bits and other skits. Those are very clever and funny.

Nobody interviewed better than Craig Ferguson as far as I'm concerned. Just 100% winging it. Always a lot of fun the way he got anyone on the show to talk about everything BUT what was on those stupid cards I miss his show.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Next they'll have that other hugely successful prog-boyband, Yupz (I think?), appear on Huckabee. Although his/their comedy is mostly unvoluntary.

[2steves]

Fallon is a big classic rock fan---he's sung with many of his idols on the show---doubt he's a big Genesis fan however---he still should have learned the name of the guy he was mimicking.

[beano]

It's his show, he can do what he wants..And obviously, people watch..I thought it was great television .....Wasn't meant to be a great "prog" moment..just worked out that way..

[Digital_Man]

[but they weren't and indeed aren't acknowledged by the dominant audience who'd go on to define the ensuing understanding of 80s/90s "alternative" and "independent" rock/pop scene - which is where we are today in terms of that era's musical aftermath]

Who cares? Neither are YES or any other well known prog band. Do Pink Floyd or Rush or LZ fall into this category? Not really.That's only one section of popular music.

Aside from that I think most of the hardcore Genesis fans these days are more of the prog variety and not so much the pop variety. I think their prog influence has had a longer lasting effect than their pop influence. Although you didn't say that I'm sure you'll agree with me there. In other words if Genesis has any hipster cred it's from their PG era.

[Digital_Man]

Fallon is a big classic rock fan---he's sung with many of his idols on the show---doubt he's a big Genesis fan however---he still should have learned the name of the guy he was mimicking.

Absolutely. Let's take a peek at his ipod and see if there are any seventies Genesis albums in there. Nope. Just the hits.

[Scrotum Scissor]

[but they weren't and indeed aren't acknowledged by the dominant audience who'd go on to define the ensuing understanding of 80s/90s "alternative" and "independent" rock/pop scene - which is where we are today in terms of that era's musical aftermath]

Who cares? Neither are YES or any other well known prog band. Do Pink Floyd or Rush or LZ fall into this category? Not really.That's only one section of popular music.

Firstly - a LOT of people OBVIOUSLY care, Christ just look at the sobbery from some in this very thread at how their heroes are "offended"! Second: when the HELL did I say that *I* care? Third: when was this the question here? I made a point, and I'll make it again: David Cassidy, The Osmonds and Bay City Rollers were also "huge" - but they aren't exactly considered important in the cultural coming-of-age of pop music. For various reasons.

Were Pink Floyd a progressive band? By any even remotely sensible definition yeah; if the "non-technical" aspect supposedly rules them out then why not point to the fact that there were numerous acts in the 70s whose virtues of musical formality far outdid those of the usual suspects, so by that definition Yes/ELP/Tull etc. are outruled as well? But are Pink Floyd generally identified as a "progressive band" by 80-90% of their enormous audience? Obviously not. For the very same reason that "prog" remains a striking misconception when communicated even WITHIN parts of its self-declared domain - people seemingly can't "decide" because they aren't really sure and essentially don't know out of fear that if they're wrong then maybe - just maybe - their own faves won't qualify.

So let's not give credit to Genesis as the "multi-million 'HUGE' prog band" when that indeed is not a fact. Sincerely creative artists during the 70s, but by the time they reached the mega zenith by which they became temporarily famous, they weren't really "that" band anymore.